1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive outboard air bag system for relaxing an impact exerted on an object in case a vehicle should collide with the
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A-7-108903 entitled a “pillar air bag system” proposes an automotive outboard air bag system for relaxing an impact exerted on an object in case a vehicle should collide with the object by deploying an air bag outwardly of the vehicle. A common example of an automotive outboard air bag system of this type will be illustrated in the following drawings.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing a common example of a conventional automotive outboard air bag system.
In case a vehicle 100 should collide against an object (not shown), an impact generated in the vehicle 100 is detected by an impact detection sensor, and an inflator 101 is actuated based on a detection signal from the impact detection sensor.
Gas is generated by the inflator 101, and the gas so generated is fed into an air bag 102 so as to fill the bag. Then, the air bag 102 is inflated to deploy, and a lid body (a lid) of the air bag 102 is broken by virtue of the inflating force of the air bag 102, which is then allowed to inflate and deploy upwardly along an outer surface 103a of a front pillar 103.
FIGS. 14A, 14B are sectional views taken along the line 14—14 in FIG. 13.
When the air bag 102 is inflated and deployed up to an upper end portion 103b of the front pillar 103 the air bag 102 inflates to have a circular cross section, whereby the outer circumference of the air bag 102 comes into contact with a windshield 105 and the outer surface 103a (a garnish) of the front pillar 103.
Here, since the air bag 102 has inflated to have the circular cross section, a distance S7 between a portion 104 where the outer circumference of the air bag 102 comes into contact with the windshield 105 and a portion 104 where the outer circumference of the air bag 102 comes into contact with the outer surface 103a (the garnish) of the front pillar 103 becomes narrow.
Due to this, for example, in case the air bag is inflated to deploy while the vehicle 100 is running, as shown in FIG. 14A, a wind pressure acts on the air bag 102 as indicated by an arrow a, and this may cause a possibility that the air bag 102 deviates from the outer surface 103a (the garnish) of the front pillar 103 as indicated by arrows b and c.
Furthermore, since the distance S7 between the portion 104 where the outer circumference of the air bag 102 comes into contact with-the windshield 105 and the portion 104 where the outer circumference of the air bag 102 comes into contact with the outer surface 103a (the garnish) of the front pillar 103 becomes narrow, as shown in FIG. 14B, in the event that an object 106 collides against an end 102a of the air bag as indicated by an arrow d, there may be caused a possibility that the air bag 102 deviates from the outer surface 103a (the garnish) of the front pillar 103 as indicated by an arrow e.